Arm, Elbow and Thumb Pain from Brachialis Muscle Trigger Points

The brachialis muscle is located on the front part of the upper arm, nearest the elbow. Along with the biceps brachii and the brachioradialis,

it is one of the primary flexors of the elbow. It gets its name from the Greek words brachialis and brachion, pertaining to the (upper) arm. It is important not to confuse these words with the Greek brachy which means “short.” Although not as large as the biceps brachii, the brachialis is a relatively large and wide muscle and these two muscles, along with the coracobrachialis, make up the anterior (front) compartment of the upper arm. Unlike the biceps brachii, which attaches to the radius, the brachialis attaches to the ulna, making it suited for flexion of the elbow only, since it can only pull on the ulna and the ulna does not rotate. However, it provides strong elbow flexion in both supination and pronation. Read on…